4th Sunday of lent: The Theme-- We are called to be the sign of God’s love, mercy and compassion
I came to know Greg and Lucy Kramer about six years ago. I met them along with their two beautiful children Christi Ann and Andrew who are now 10. From the time I have known Greg I have always seen him in his wheelchair. Lucy plays the flute at the Sunday evening ‘Rock with Jesus’ mass and her children help Linda, the sacristan, set up for mass. Greg works for the Access Centre for Independent living, and usually sits at the back of church when the band practices and actively participates in the celebration. Of course it was always tempting to ask them about Greg but I did not want to be rude either. I assumed that some illness had struck him early on during their married life. It was when I was invited to dinner a couple of years back that I came to know the real story. Greg was involved in a swimming accident when he was merely fifteen. When they fell in love with each other, he was already in the wheel chair. I have never asked Lucy why she married a man who was so severely restricted in so many ways. Of all the choices she could have made, why Greg? I have to admit that I have rarely met anyone as courageous as Greg and as unpresumptuous as Lucy. Yet what they have achieved together has remained for me an inspiring and true act of love, commitment and faith. For both of them, there must be a reason for their choice, there must be a price to be paid each day for their choice, and there must be a purpose that comes from their choice. It is a story of love faith and compassion.
Today we are challenged to reflect on our acts of love mercy and compassion. The readings explain how I can become more loving and compassionate. Gracy has become God’s love, mercy and compassion. God is working through them.
1. The First Reading of today taken from the Second Book of Chronicles we heard of the compassion and patience of the Lord God. The Lord God does not wish for anyone to perish because of their disobedience to His righteousness. The Lord God tolerated with patience the sins of His people. He constantly kept in close contact with His people by sending many prophets as messengers to them so they would turn away from their sins. However, the people despised the Words of God and scoffed at His prophets. Because of the sins of the Jewish people, from the priests down, because of idolatry and other shameful and sacrilegious practices a terrible punishment fell on the whole people through Nebuchadnezzar, king of Persia. Everything was destroyed, the House of God, the walls of Jerusalem, the palaces and its precious vessels. And those who escaped the sword, they were taken into exile in Babylon as slaves by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Persia. When king Cyrus of Persia came into power, God was showing his love and compassion through Cyrus of Persia. He was inspired by the Spirit of the Lord to call the children of God to return to the holy city of Jerusalem to rebuild the House of Yahweh.
2. While speaking to the Ephesians St Paul insists that if we are saved by the grace of God, it is not by our own doing. It is impossible! Those who experience spiritual death by rejecting the grace of God, they will not inherit life. Eternal life in the beatific vision of God can only come to us by the grace of God. To inherit God’s gift of salvation, we need the gift of the grace of God, faith in Jesus Christ and the Sacrament of Baptism!
3. The Gospel of today makes a comparison with Moses, who was also an agent of God and a savior of God’s people. In this Biblical passage, Jesus was referring to an event that occurred in the days of the Old Testament. The Israelites in the desert had been complaining bitterly about their conditions so they were punished by God who sent a plague of serpents among the people and many died. At God’s command, Moses raised up a bronze serpent on a pole “and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he recovered”. John tells us that Jesus too will be lifted up. For John Jesus’ being “lifted up” includes both his being raised up on a cross and being raised up to be with his Father in glory at the resurrection.Here John gives the summary of our entire salvific mystery, God’s unlimited love for the world. The Gospel says that God loved the world so much that he gave his only son for our sake that we may have eternal life through him. God here sacrifices something most precious to him, his own son so that we may have life in and through him. For us Jesus is the new life. The very fact of looking at the bronze serpent brought life to the Israelites who were bitten by the serpents and certainly looking at Jesus would mean new life for the individual person, as Nicodemus was promised by Jesus. All those who look up to Jesus in faith will be saved, will be given “eternal life”, a life that never can be taken away. He emphasizes that God sent his Son to save and not to judge or condemn. He did not come to judge but to save. Jesus came to show you the way, the truth and the life so you may walk in the Light. Jesus is the Light. He is the only way! He is the only Truth! He is the only Life! There are none other but Jesus who can save us by the grace of the Heavenly Father and the power of the Holy Spirit. Through our living faith in Christ, we have the assurance of salvation.
4. During this time of Lent, let us review our hearts to determine where we stand. Let us then look at Jesus lifted up on the cross and in glory. Let us see the love of God for us shown there. Let us open our hearts to that love and let it flow right through us to bring life and hope to others. Let us pray for this grace during this mass.
